Under the Moonlit Sky
by X-Silent.Echo-X
Summary: Sasuke returned after his brothers death. Ino got stuck on a mission with him. As fate has it, shes burdened with being a messenger to a supposedly dead brother. As shes forced to grow closer to him, she's torn apart in the process./Itaino/end paring/CH5
1. Chapter 1

The sight of the moonlit sky way truly amazing. I mean, one would be so relaxed just looking at it. Even me, a over hype-active blond flirt is still tamed by the aura of the misty sky. As I stared at it, my eyes tried to get all of the shining flowers on the fields, the small hills ahead, and the water-like glowing of the moon all in one setting. I probably never was one for art, but I do –much to popular believe- like to have quiet time and just enjoy earth's creation. Yeah, I probably am one for words, seeing at though most of my friends say that I talk way too much.

I lay awake on the tamed field somewhere in the Mist. My mission was to find a pacific crystal in a cave the normal villagers do not dare to achieve. Not that is matters what the villagers are scared of, it is a just a cave, correct? I do find it a little sad of whom the people are that I did get stuck on this mission with though…

"You're watch is up." I deep voice informed me, I turned just my head and my shoulders slightly to the location.

"Hai, Neji." I nodded before standing up from my meditating position. My eyes where just slightly heavy.

"Where you meditating?" He questioned me as a slight smile tugged on my lips.

"I guess you could call it that." I shrugged. "I just to do to clear my head, focus on one goal. 'Ya know?" I heard myself explain, I thought a moment before also adding: " I did try though. And yet I still never could get down the whole life energy things anyway." I admitted, expecting him to call me stupid for it. Much to my surprise –as if Kami just had to see me wrong- he smirked at me before sitting down in a meditating positing himself. It took a moment to digest it and blink at him as he gestured to the area that I was sitting before, closing his eyes. I hesitated for a moment, but soon sat down in a very similar position on the flowery field.

"Erm, call me stupid but, what am I supposed to be doing?" I scratched the back of my head sheepishly.

"You tell me." He responded, his eyes not opening. At this I felt my eye twitch.

"Eh? Excuse me? You're losing me here now." If his eyes where open, I would be sure that he rolled them.

"I can't make you meditate." he began to explain, somewhat impatiently. "the way of meditation lies within the persons' needs. Some people need to calm down, some need to forget, some need to get a hold of themselves. Get it?" I felt a twinge of anger at the tone he was using on how he explained it, but kept my mouth shut for now.

"This may be a stupid question but," I wanted to smack my own forehead for starting this sentence... "If you meditate based on controlling your emotions, what do you do when you just feel blank... feel nothing." He peaked on of his eyes open slightly and I felt as if i said something wrong or if it was a stupid question. My gut sank at the dreaded feeling of being called stupid by a jounin, even if you are one yourself.

"...I," Here it comes... "don't know." I resisted the _powerful_ urge to gawk. Unfortunately, my mouth still opened as if I were going to say something.I straightened up my posture and turned my head to the side, looking at the moon.

"I guess... emotions always have to be there, like...no one could feel nothing, right?" I turned back to the Hyuga to see him with a thoughtful look, looking at the moon, as i had done before. I looked at the sky for a couple of moments before i started giggling, then laughing. He turned to me with a raised eyebrow.

"I-i'm sorry," I said quietly between calmed giggles. "Its just that, a girl who tried to seduce you during a chunnin exam is actually having a serious conversation about _meditating_." I smiled widely at the thought of my own... 'creativity'

"Hn," He shrugged slightly. "You never where one anyone could easily point down." I raised an eyebrow.

"That's a good thing, right?" Yeah,this conversation is just making me could like a complete idiot.

"It depends on which side of your personality the person pins you as." I looked down at the ground at the fact of someone pinning me down as a slut because of my missions.

"You should get some sleep," He interrupted my thoughts "I doubt that you'll sleep in a cave when we're searching." I nodded silently before standing up and walking over to the tent.

* * *

As it turns out, i couldn't sleep at all. I even tried to knock myself out, but that didn't even work. I must have a case of insomnia or something, but that shouldn't -and/ or wouldn't - effect this mission at all. I mean, if I can't sleep at all when I try, then I'm not going to when a mission is taking place.

Sighing, i quietly sneaked out of my tent for a small walk. Unfortunately, I failed to remember that the _other_ teammate that Tsunade (_briliantly)_ decided to pair me up with was on watch at this current time.

"Going somewhere, Yamanaka?" Oi-ve, I seriously wish that sometimes he wasn't such a good ninja.

"What's it to you if I am?" I questioned him in an impatient voice. But as usual, he somehow managed to ignore it.I rolled my eyes and started to walk again.

"Just don't take too long, sun is going to rise soon." I whipped my head around, ready to scold.

"Don't tell me what to do!" I protested in annoyance. "You're not the leader of this mission! You're luckly your sorry ass is even aloud out of the village!" I hissed

"And yet they still made me a higher rank than you."

"Why you...!" I felt my hands and eye twitch.

"Something the matter, Uchiha?" Neji interrupted our conversation, stepping out of his tent.

Rolling my eyes, i turned around. "I'm taking a walk before we leave." I stepped out of sight from them, and then chakra-sensing rang of them. I sighed exasperated before sitting on a tree brach. Leaning one elbow on my knee and leaning my head on the bark of the tree, i closed my eyes.

You're probably wondering why Uchiha is here, right? Che, i have to figure that out myself, but Tsunade said that 'working with other teammates is good for your teamwork'. They put Hinata, Shikamaru and Naruto on one team for gods sake!

Anyway, Sasuke didn't actually 'come' back to the village, but he attempted to destroy it. He got captured and interragated by Ibiki and my father, just to be realised a measly month later because of Naruto and Sakura! If it where any other person, they would have been executed. But, Sasuke -being what ever the hell he is- somehow got out unscated. Not even a permanent scar! He returned and decided to stay in the village because he had no reason to leave again anyway.

I know, I know. I used to be a fangirl of his, and I can't take that back. Altough i do wish i could. Do I still have feelings for him? I don't know, and in all truth, I don't want to know.

Sighing, I stood up from my suprisingly comfortable position and jumped off the branch, graciously landing on the ground. My feet started moving, instinctivley leading the way back to the campsite.

There is a reason on why i don't want to find out if i do have feeling for him though.

I was never good at keeping secrets.

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**Ya know, i think that this is the first story that i actually knew what couple i wanted from the beginnnnnnnnnnninnnnnnnnng! Woah! *High fives self* Anywho, this is a Itaino story and it actually is more serious than most of my other ones, and it is a end pairing, so if you like porn-like things that they fall in love within seconds, this is _not_ your story! By the way, the main sidepairings are Sasuino and _tiny_ Nejiino. The last sentance of the chapter are important along with the talk with Neji!**

**REVIEWS SAVE THE EARTH! REVIEWS CREATE SUPERMAN!**

**Till next time,**

_**Candy**_


	2. Chapter 2

My feet seemed very fond of taking slow and quiet steps back to the campsite. Not that I mind of coarse, more power to them.

I continued to walk the same pace, my feet making a slow beat at every step. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and taking a clump of hair between in fingers and twirling it.

"You better watch your step, Uchiha." My feet froze at the sound of Neji's voice. I knew full well that the tone that he was holding was one of his "Life lectures", in which he gives me all of the time. I decided not to interrupt as i leaned against the tree.

"What are you getting at?" I could tell that Uchiha wasn't happy with the current topic, seeing as how his voice caused a shiver of fear to run up my spine.

"I'm saying that one wrong move, and your in a cell for the rest of your life." I blinked and my hand dropped to my side, leaving the hair I was playing with over my shoulder. He was right.

As the silence answered him, Neji continued. "Not everybody is at your beckoned will anymore, its rare that someone will echnolageyou as you walk threw the streets anymore. You need to watch your mouth, especially around Ino."

Alright, that's one confusing statement. Why does he have to watch his mouth against me again? I felt a question mark forming on my head.

"She is part of the interrogation, remember?" I felt like smacking my forehead. Duh, I'm with the police! How could i forget? And for a minuet i almost thought-

"Are you really expecting to just ease-drop on our conversation, Yamanaka?" I felt my back tense as I slowly turned from behind the tree, thinking of a quick excuse.

"Well, it only seemed like someone was talking to themselves, seeing as though i only heard one voice." I indigently crossed my arms and plopped down by the fire -which I don't know when someone lit it- and closed my eyes again.

"We should get moving." Neji interrupted what little shuteye I had all night. I growled inwardly but packed up all the same, soon hitting the trees.

* * *

* * *

"Neji?" I questioned a couple of minuets after we left the campsite. He glanced at me, letting me continue. "What does this crystal look like, anyway?" He thought for a moment before nodding and answering.

"It's called a water quarts crystal." I rose an eyebrow at the strange name, completely forgetting about the other teammate in thought. He nodded again and continued. "Its one of the 4 crystals in the elemental nation, one for each element."

"One for each element?" I repeated.

"In one village of every country, it holds one crystal. Wind, lightning, earth, fire, water." He spared me another glance."4 out of the 5 crystals are all safe and hidden deep within one of the villages."

"Why only 4? Why can't anyone get the water crystal?" I looked at him, expecting him to know the answer, as he always does.

"No one succeeded in reaching the back of the cave." He replied. I looked forward, a sketchy look on my face.

"So what does this cave look like?" Neji turned silent, making me blink and look at him, turning my head slightly.

"No one knows," Uchiha surprisingly entered the conversation. My eyes narrowed slightly as I glanced at my side to see him. "Everyone that went in, never came out." I blinked as my blood froze. I saw Neji glare at him, as if saying how he wasn't supposed to mention that part. "She was going to find out from the villagers anyway." He shrugged, making me gulp to myself.

"Ino?" Neji questioned, I shook my head, making the color return to my face.

"I-I'm fine, really." I insisted, sparing both guys a slight smile, my eyes closed, just to notice booth looking back at me. "We're going to the Hidden Mist Village, right?" I changed the subject, fastening my pace."Then lets go, we're slowing down."

* * *

Honestly, I don't know whats worse. The story about dieing in a cave or the fact that the entire village seems sketchy. The people just seem gloomy and mysterious, as if they knew something I didn't, something big.

"Yamanka." Sasuke's voice caught my attention. It was then I noticed that we where at the place we where staying, a small cabin just outside the cave. The two went inside the small house, while I stayed outside and looked, deciding to ask around.

The streets where small and basically average for a petite village. Being in the mist village, fog covered the streets for the most part. I walked, and it seemed like I could only hear my own footsteps. I looked at the street signs as I walked. My face turned pale as I saw faint figures walk by, causing my head to turn into every which direction on instinct.

Finally getting creeped out, I slickly snuck into an alleyway, shivering inwardly at the same time.

"Something wrong child?" I nearly jumped out of my own skin as my head flipped around fast enough to break my neck. To my surprise, I saw an old woman, dressed in a black and white kimono, her hair being held up in a messy bun with black chopsticks. Her face showed knowledge and wisdom, aged smile lines laid on her face rather nicely. Her big silver-grey eyes where matching with her blond-silver hair.

"N-no," I replied, grabbing my chest and taking a deep breath. "Umm... I hope you don't take this the wrong way but , who are you?" I couldn't help but ask.

"My name is not of importance." I wanted to raise an eyebrow, but I didn't. She glanced at me up and down. "You mustn't be wondering the streets by yourself, it's unsafe for someone of your stature." I tilted my head to the side slightly as she blinked once. "My my, child. You're that konoichi from Konoha, aren't you?" Despite my sudden surge of questions that ran threw my body, I decided to just nod.

"Hai." I answered, deciding to trust the woman.

"Your mission is to get the Crystal, correct?" Missions are supposed to be classified, how does she know.

"Well, i guess that-"

"Quit now." She interrupted my sentence, much to my shock at her words, she continued. "Forget about the mission and leave." My jaw dropped.

"E-excuse me?" My head dropped a little. The old woman narrowed her silver eyes at me.

"All who enter, die." As if I didn't hear _that _before. The woman reached inside her kimono flap, and pulled out a picture silently. I blinked once or twice as she held it out to me. Hesitantly, I took the picture and almost gasped.

"Her name's Yumie." She started as I stared. "She was my daughter, a Konoichi, just like you." I looked at the woman, then back at the photo. "She would be 30 in a couple of months or so, but whose counting?" I looked at the big silver eyes and brunette hair, the wide smile etched across the face.

"She's beautiful..." I admitted, my eyes glued to the picture.

"She was, wasn't she?" The woman smiled sadly. "She went on the same mission your going on now." I unglued my eyes and looked back at the woman. I offered the picture back, and she took it. However, she did give me something in return: a small black box, about the size of my palm.

"This belonged to her, I want you to have it." She smiled again. "You remind me so much of her. Beautiful, bright, happy... kind." I moved my hand to open the box, but she stopped me.

"Don't use it unless your in an absolute emergency, near death, you hear?" My eyes widened at her sudden stern tone, but I nodded all the same. She gave me one last glance before disappearing in a puff of mist. My eyes returned to the box, before putting it in my medical bag.

* * *

"We're going in first in the morning, clear?" Neji ordered the both of us. I nodded with no second thought, just to earn a scoff from Uchiha. I glared, just to receive a blank stare back. I grunted after several moment and stood up, huffing up the stairs.

I closed the door behind me and locked it, leaning against its wooden frame. Taking the box out of my bag, i opened the small blyack latch, making me actually gasp.

I small Crystal container, sparkling pink-orange liquid inside. It was attached to a pure silver chain, the latch small and delicate.

Carefully, I put the jewel around my neck and snapped the latch, making it secure. I hid it under my collar and laid on the thin mattress bed, seamlessly falling asleep

Unfortunately, I had yet another case of amnesia and couldn't sleep for more that a couple hours. Sighing and sitting up, I unlocked the door, just to almost run into something, or someone. Stumbling backwards, I caught my feet and glanced up to see Uchiha is in front of my door.

"Erm..." I looked blankly up at him, confused as to why he's up and in front of my door at 3 am. I rose an eyebrow at him.

"Your a medical ninja." It was more a statement than a question, but it confused me all the same. "I need you to take a look at something." Despite my confused look, he walked passed me and sat on my bed, taking off his shirt.

"WHOAH WHOAH WHOAH!" I almost shrieked, covering my eyes with the back of my hand.

"Quit whining." I heard his voice say. Keeping my eyes shut, I stopped my foot on the floor.

"There's a half naked guy on my bed at 3 o'clock in the morning, with the door shut! You really expect me to keep calm?" I hissed at him, my eyes still slammed shut. I heard him sigh.

"Just shut up and look at my back." I snorted and turned defiantly.

"Give me one reason why I should."

"Because I'm injured." I could tell the clear annoyance in his voice, but the word 'injured' made me turn. I blinked as he turned, showing a huge gash along his back. I felt my jaw drop. Yeah, that has been happening a lot today.

"The wound is fresh...When did you-"

"Someone tried to attack while you and Neji where asleep." My eyes widened more.

"I was only asleep for an hour..."

"That's long enough." At this i ran out of words to say. I gulped and gently touched the wound on his back. Flinching at the slight movement in his arm when I did, I walked over and pulled out some dry herb leaves.

"I'm no Sakura, but I should be able to help for the most part." I said crushing the leaves in disinfecting water.

"It's good enough." He mumbled. I walked over and took the water in my hand, making it glow green as it touched his back. To my surprise, he didn't even flinch until I was finishing up.

"Alright, I'll bandage it and tell me how you feel in the morning, alright?" I stated as I rapped his torso in bandages.

"Hn." He replied before putting his shirt back on and leaving the room.

"Night, Uchiha."

"Yamanka..." I heard him mumble. A slight smirk pulled on my lips.

**

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* * *

SO, HOW WAS THAT? I know, no Itachi in this Chapter, but as i said, it is an end pairing! He should be in the next chapter. Just please review! I'm building background here! :DD And trust me, it may not make sense now, but it'll all pull together!

**REVIEWW!**

**Till next time,**

**_Candy_**


	3. Chapter 3

I'm not sure why, maybe it was the adrenaline of the mission or the fact that I finally got sleep for the first time in a while but, my entire being just seems lighter. My feet and arms basically moved themselves, its a lot better than having to drag myself everywhere. I'm just glad that Uchiha's wound is healing better than I originally thought, and I figured it wouldn't even leave a scar.

I finished putting my hair up, a wide smirk etched across my face. I knew today I just _had_ to prove that I'm an equal rank to those to egomaniacs! And today, despite my stomach churning for no reason, I have a feeling that something important is going to happen. I don't think it'll be particularly bad or good, but neutral. I sudden wave a of nausea went over me, but I shook my head and blinked it off. Alright, maybe my fortune telling isn't that good.

"Yamanaka, are you coming?" I heard Neji's voice echo through my head for a couple of moments before I blinked.

"Uh, yeah..." Shaking my head, I speed up my pace to keep up with their long strides (I swear it comes naturally with the ego.) Sasuke opened the gate that had a giant 'WARNING' sign in red bold letters and yellow and black stripes.

_'Well, that's not good'_ I thought to myself as we entered the 'cursed cave'. Neji lit the lantern and held it over his head, getting a clear view of the second security gate that blocked our path.

"These people went threw all this trouble to keep people out..." I mumbled aloud and Neji took it upon himself to open the second gate.

"Hn." Sasuke scoffed, but I realized his eyes where narrowed as I nervously glanced up at him. I couldn't read his face, but something told me he didn't think something was right.

The loud squeaking of the three-man-size gate opening knocked me out of my thoughts. Neji lifted the lantern back above his head and pushed the gate open enough for all if us to get through.

"Alright, we all need to be precarious from this point on. Stay alert at all times, all these people didn't die in here for nothing, We also have no idea what it looks like past this point. Not yet, at least." I nodded numbly, oddly enough taking in every word. I can't afford to fail this mission!

We walked threw the iron rods, I stayed a step behind until I knew the ground where safe.

"Neji?" I questioned loud enough to grab his attention. "Why don't you just use the your kekkei genkai? If would be very helpful." I gulped silently, my eyes attempting to adjust to the darkness.

"That wold be a good idea, but we can't afford to waste any chakra now."

"But chakra is useless if we die falling into a bottomless pit!" I hissed in annoyance. Neji glared at me.

"I don't need you yelling in my ear, you know. The walls echo." I grunted, and my eyes twitched. Either way, I stopped, knowing that this I pointless.

We continued walking, over boards that the first people that came in here set up. I heard the squeaking of the old wood, that made me a little nervous. However, I continued to walk between Neji and Sasuke, seeing how I'm the medical one; do they think I started off as a medical ninja? NO! I was a full fledged battle field as well, but they seemed to have oh-so nicely forgotten. I sighed into nothingness.

"Did you hear that?" Sasuke broke the silence, oddly enough activated his Sharigan.

"What? My sighing?" I rose an eyebrow, and Neji rolled his eyes.

"I didn't hear anything Uchiha, your wasting chakra." He grunted, Uchiha glared and I rolled my eyes. Seriously, they can't let their ego go for a couple of minuets. Superiority complex much?

"Will both of you knock it o-" My sentence was cut short by a creature about a inch away from my face. Lucky enough, Sasuke caught it and stabbed with his sword. I caught my feet and looked around, those things where everywhere!

Pulling out a kunai, I slapped some chakra on it before I let it go, effectively killing 7 of the things. When one reached on my foot, I stabbed it before it could do anything. I killed another after another, but there where still so many! I looked to see Neji and Sasuke doing a nice job, but not good enough!

"Guys, I don't think this will end anytime soon!" I called to them.

"What are these thing, they have so much chakra!" Neji commented, stabbing more. "And we'll run out of kunai too soon at this rate. They just keep coming from the walls!" He growled.

"Wait!" I looked at the walls, carefully looking at where that rise from. Stabbing more with the same kunai, I noticed something. The walls had different shades, one peculiar lighter. I looked around and I noticed that they all come out of particular spots, and that there are lines connecting them!

"Sasuke, take a look at the walls, they form a symbol! I think that they hold chakra!" I called to him. He glanced at me, and then the walls. Following the almost invisible lines, he circled around slightly. I closed my eyes for a second to think, but as soon as I did something touched my leg. My eyes shot open to see one of those black things crawling up my leg. I stabbed it, but I felt a sharp pain. I cringed as I felt my chakra draining as a terrifying rate.

"Guys, don't let them touch you! The things connect nerves!" I warned, felling lightheaded. I had to thing of a way to stop these things, and fast!

"Ino!" I heard Neji call out. I gulped and closed my eyes. I felt my chakra drain more, but that isn't the problem here. I opened my eyes and looked at the symbols, carefully studying how they work. I scowled as I had an idea. I took out my last kunai, and slapped an explosive tog on it. Putting my last of chakra in it, I shot it at one of the main symbols. Falling to my knees, the bright light of the explosion hurt my eyes. The force traveled threw the lines to the other one, then the next. The ground shook and my hands gripped the floor.

Neji and Sasuke easily sent chakra to their feet, but they obviously weren't ready for this pacific attack, seeing how that both went into a slight mode of shock. The ground settled, and extra parts of dust partials fell onto where we where standing. The black things dissolved into the dirt, and I leaned o n my left on for support.

Gasping, I just stayed there for moment, before putting my hands up in the air and laughing. I continued to laugh breathlessly, falling on my back and spread my legs and arms out, staring at the ceiling in amazement.

"It worked," I breathed. "It actually worked..." A wide smile etched across my face as I continued laughing.

"Your lucky it did," Sasuke commented. "Because if it didn't, you would have killed all three of us." He rolled his eyes and me.

"If it wasn't for me, you would have been dead by now." I ginned, not moving from my current position.

"I don't even see how the attack worked in the first place." Neji commented. "It makes no sense how the explosion spread like that."

"Hee-hee, you two better not call me stupid ever again." I cackled. "I sent the rest of my chakra to the kunai. When it reached the chakra-set-symbol, my chakra spread with the explosion." I began, Neji and Sasuke by now where just standing on either side of me. "Those things sucked the chakra out of me and to the seal, making it endless so long as it has victims." My eyelids lower slightly, and I put a hand on my forehead. "I'm completely drained, but I'll be alright." I blinked to see two different hand reached out to me. Opening my eyes up more, I saw both of my current 'teammate's' hands reached out. With a wide smile, I took both of them as I was lifted up.

"Thanks" I said quietly, trying to walk on my own.

"Hn, you know that our mission isn't close to done, right?" Sasuke asked, putting his hands in his pockets. I chuckled lightly.

"Trust me, I couldn't deal with just this. Then it would be one _boring_ mission." I sneered at him, noticing both of their smirks. I got back on my own feet and smiled, forgetting all about my light-headed issues.

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**Yeah, I know it sucks, but you can't have a serious problems and not have some action scenes! And I FAILED! expect chapter 4 soon!**

**and for all of you who are like, 'dude, wheres itachi! I want complicated romance like romeo and Juliet' GUH! I KNOW I KNOW! Listen, i can't just have itachi walk in after the fight being all like 'hello Ino, which i suddenly know you name. Im itachi, a brother wo isn't really dead. Oh, you'll be my messanger as well to update on the brother that 'wishes i was alive again' 's status. you are in love me with and at the end i will love you back, (BTW: this might be a twist) goodbye. Oh, helllo sasuke and neji.'**

**erm, no.  
**

_**Till next time,**_

_**candy**_


	4. Chapter 4

Lets say that the tunnel isn't creepy. Lets say that this is all a bad dream, and that I'm on a c-rank with Shikamaru and Chouji. Yeah, lets just go with that; its much better that where I actually am right now.

In a dark cave, freezing my ass off, sitting in a corner while the two egotistical jerks fight about whose plain is better. Seriously, didn't I just save both of their asses?

"I don't know if your aware of this Uchiha, but we basically have a chakra deprived teammate!" Oh, I love the way he puts it! Seriously, is that the way all konoichi want to be described as?

"Listen _Hyuga_, the entire point of this mission is to get the crystal, and bring it to the elders. We don't have to deal with all of the extras." He hissed, although his voice was lower than Neji's, it was just as dangerous.

"Alright then, you go and get the crystals. We'll be right here." I groaned and leaned my face in my palm. Sighing, I used the wall to quickly get to my feet. I grouchily mumbled profanities under my breath at the sudden head rush.

"Will both of you knock it off!" I hollered, getting both of their attentions easily. "I'm not chakra deprived, and we need to stick together!" They at least have to agree to that one. "I know that we shouldn't have to deal with this, and I know that there are better places we could be right now." Both men scoffed, agreeing to my sentence. "But since when have you two given up on anything?" They both glared, glanced at me and they sighed. For once, all of my supposedly annoying lectures helped.

"Now, if you don't mind..." I lifted my hand, pointing to the way we have yet to go. They walked past me silently, as I sighed deeply when they had a good 10 ft start on me. I twirled on my single heel and began walking again.

_Something just doesn't feel right, _I thought, _shouldn't there be _**something**_ after a trap like that?_ My feet dragged on ,checking to make sure a gaping hole wouldn't just randomly appear. I nearly bumped into the taller Hyuga as he came to a sudden stop. Looking up, I saw that they had two tunnels.

"We'll send clones down both." Neji stated without questioning. Sasuke didn't motion that he was concerned, and I nodded. As three Neji's appeared in a puff of smoke, and entered the halls.

"I don't get it." I whispered more to myself than anything. "Why have to open cave like that when they knew anyone with common sense would send clones?" Sasuke spared me a glance before pondering it. Neji, on the other hand, thought that it was smarter to just send the clones.

"We'll wait here until something happens." I sighed. There was nothing I could do to persuade him. The only people who could possibly do that is his team or Naruto, and I'm neither...

We officially waited forever and a day, just standing around and waiting.

I tapped my foot in annoyance. My eyes had to tempt me to close them as they felt heavier than my brain could handle. It was something to add to the mission I suppose; it was an A-rank after all. As hunger sent a signal to my brain, my eye twitched as I heard a grumble. Slapping my forehead as both of them looked at me; reaching for my medical bag, I pull out a small bottle of food pills. As I was about to twist my fingers to open the small cap, Uchiha grabbed my wrist. I glared at him, still being chakra deprived and tired, hunger was something that I did not want to add to the list.

"Your aware of the side affects of those, correct?" Stating this blandly, he wouldn't let his damned grip loosen on my skin and bone. Neji watched in silence, still awaiting any information from the clones.

"I'm perfectly aware." I hissed; what kind of medic doesn't know almost everything of the medicine from his or her village? "Now leave me alone." I managed to wiggle my wrist out of his grasp. Turning away slightly, I opened the cap quickly. As I was about to take one of them, Uchiha grabbed both of wrists, making me drop the lone pill as he stepped on it purposely, causing it to turn into useless pieces of powder. He caught what was left of the small yellow tinted glass bottle.

"Damn it Uchiha!" I groaned angrily, looking at the high-priced powder. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to make affective food pills!" glaring in annoyance, he continued to look at me with a plain expression spread across his face. I knew I wasn't going to get those pills back, so I groaned and crossed my arms.

"Somethings not right." Neji interrupted my glare. "I can't sense my clones anymore." My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Try releasing them." I suggested, completely forgetting about my list of pains. Neji sighed as he did so.

When he did...he fell to the ground in pain, coughing up a decent amount of blood doing so.

"What the-" I knelt by him as fast as I could. _How did this..._

"Ino." Sasuke's voice was a strange tone. I look up to see him grab me by the waist to push me out of the way something, making him and me crash quickly into the wall. To say I was in shock would be a pretty good word right now. Looking up, I barely caught a glimpse of Neji falling into a newly formed hole in the ground. "Releasing the clones must triggered a trap in the caves." He growled in a low tone as I screamed Neji's name.

"We have to go." Sasuke started to drag me by my upper arm at a fast paste.

"I'm not leaving without Neji!" Being as stubborn as I could drug my heals into the dirt.

"Ino, we don't have tim-" His sentence was interrupted as he had to quickly pull me out of the way of yet another seemingly bottomless pit. I screamed again, which seems the only thing a tired, chakra deprived, starving and dehydrated medic could do at the moment. "Damn it!" I heard him curse, although me eyes where clamped shut at the moment.

_Sasuke, _I pleaded in my mind _just get me far away from here...please_...

The wind was violently locked out of me as he knocked us both into the wall again. My eyes sprang open involuntarily as I looked to see the basic structure of the floor had caved in. I gasped, using chakra to hang to the wall as best as I could, helping Sasuke out a little.

_What is going on? How did this even..._

"Ino," I looked over, "You don't have enough chakra to stay like this for long." He was panting slightly, the scratch on his back gave him surges of pain at every hit.

"But... what about Ne-..." I seriously felt like I was going to break down. I felt whats left of my energy drain. As my eyelids dropped against my will I felt my body go limp. I felt a struggle to try to grasp me arm, but it slipped and left a painfully long scratch spread itself along my arm. My body felt like it was floating, but the hair whipping my face violently said otherwise.

As first, I thought I was a vision of Neji, Sasuke, who walked on the right of me, and I walking up to the gate...

As the vision began to blur, I looked to the left and saw another figure -although the other two didn't notice that it was there. I smiled at it, and as I desperately looked to see who or what if was, all went black.

When people said life flashed before your eyes before you die; I never thought it would be like that...

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Hiya! I finally got the motivation to completely finish this chapter! :D I'm focusing on uploading the stories that I remember on what I'm going to do,

**ReViEw and get faster updates!**

_**With love,**_

_**Candy**_


	5. Chapter 5

I didn't know anything about right now. Where am I? What's this pain? Why does it feel like I just drooped like 1000 feet? Sitting up and grabbing my head, I looked at my surroundings. Nothing but dark and a dusty ground…

Oh, I remember now…

And all I could think of is to run and call Neji's and Sasuke's names…

* * *

Uchiha was not happy in this situation.

Not only did he lose both of his teammates, but the entire floor had fallen thought. Sighing, he just began to walk down the pit; hopefully he'll find at least one of his temporarily worthless teammates.

The farther down he had traveled, the more and more impatient he had grown. Is this some kind of trick? A genjutsu perhaps? The chakra is still the same, and nothing seemed to be off in any way. He had lost count on how long he's been walking, but it feels like he's not walking on the wall, but on a normal floor. His hair fell flat again, and it seemed to have gone unnoticed by the Uchiha. It's been a while since he lost the light from the exit, and he was slowly getting tired from boredom and chakra use.

As time still ticked in his head, he was about to fuck it and turn around, forgetting the entire mission and claim that they where killed by and ambush. Thinking of it, he then realized how shady it would be that a Hyuuga and Tsunade's pupil where both killed, but he survived.

Not to mention that Naruto would have his head on a silver platter.

Well, mostly the elders and higher-ups would have his head, not to mention Inoichi. That man can be scary as hell if he wants to be, even to the egotistical Uchiha.

The thought kept him distracted for the time being.

'_Sasuke!'_

He blinked, his senses back on edge. Maybe he had finally found… Ino, he guessed, based on the high-pitched voice. He fastened his pace a bit, guessing it's from the North-west.

'_**Help me…'**_the voice grew meek, and he froze. Not only was it coming from another direction, but the voice grew a pitch deeper.

'_**Can't you hear me?'**_The voice went back to the high voice, and he was beginning to grow a skeptic.

'_**Sasuke, I need you!'**_ His blood ran cold for a minuet as the words rung thought his head… that's…

Improbable.

Never would she say anything that would intimidate herself like that. Saying that would be the same as claiming that you're useless. He scoffed and stood in a leaned back position. The voice began to laugh, taunting him to turn his head in the designated direction. The longer he waited, the more the voice grew stronger, more discreet. He finally turned his head slightly, seeing a small figure.

'_**Are you scared?**__'_ The voice asked, testing the boy's patience. Something about the sentence ticked him off, and he isn't one to bite his tongue. Finally turning around all the way, his eyes subconsciously turning to Sharingan; What he saw was disturbing….

'_A little girl?' _His eyebrows furrowed the slightest bit, trying to answer what kind of trick this is.

Her vivid white gown was blinding, and the girl's hair was long and a bright yellow, in a loose braid. His eyes must have tricked him as it reminded him of Naruto. Her eyes a piercing blue with no pupils, like Ino's. _IT_ confused him at how that shape of the girls eyes reminded him of…

"_**What's the matter, don't you want to play?" **_

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Her chakra was recovering quickly, and soon she should at least be able to use her jutsu to _attempt_ to contact someone…

The ground was painful to her bare hands as she pushed herself up from her knees. Panting slightly, she took a couple balance-catching steps back. Going though her medical bag; she inwardly cursed Uchiha for ruining her food pills. She's also slightly ticked that Neji didn't say anything.

Her eyes began to water at how her dad would react to the death of his only daughter, and she shook her head; refusing to think of such thoughts. She began to walk, refusing to limp or grab anything but her shoulder in pain. She couldn't see a damn thing, and it was really starting to tick her off.

She tripped over something cold and hard, hearing several cracking noises as she did.

"Gaugh!" She cursed insanities under her breath. Getting up and consequently realizing just what she was tripping over as the horrid smell of putrid blood ran thought her nostrils. Her eyes grew big and her pupils grew small.

'_H-human, h-h-h-human body' _ Her mind struggled to register it, refusing double fold and get sick. As she turned white, she had to bite back a horrid scream. Her lip quivering as she was stunned there, staring as the dried clean skull slowly fell off of the spine, making cracking sounds and shattered as it hit the ground.

"You should be used to it." A deep voice echoed, making her head snap to where it came from. Just to see that nothing was there, "After all, you are a konoichi." The voice came in a different direction, and Ino turned to – again, see nothing.

"Whose there?" Her voice came out surprising strong, just to see a shadow passed by. Forgetting the corpse that she was currently at the foot of, here eyebrows quivered slightly; before she shook her head.

"And you call yourself a ninja." The voice breathed over her shoulder, she jumped up and scrambled to her feet. One hand gripping the dirt of the wall desperately, the other holding a kunai shakily. Her eyes grew wider, shocking herself on how big they could get.

"Go away!" She demanded, feeling a tad bit more confident in herself now that her chakra was fully charged. Her eyes narrowed as the black figure taunted her… telling her to guess just guess who or what it is. The first thing she realized was that the figure was tall and lean, seeing as though she could only see the outline.

"If I did that, this would all be a waste of time, now wouldn't it?" The voice sounded dominant, as if it knew that she couldn't lay a finger on him. She couldn't think of anything to do, but she refused to just stand there.

"Release!" She called, folding her fingers in the needed symbol. As nothing happened, her heart began to beat heavily in her ears. Whoever this person is, their chakra level and control is uncanny!

"If you think that this is a genjutsu, you are slower than I first alleged." His voice turned cold and made Ino gulp heavily as her throat went dry. "I can show you what a _true_ genjutsu is, if you wish." Her heart stopped, looking at the swirling eyes, the blood-red color piercing her eyes in shock. She gripped that walls tighter.

"I-impossible…" He can't be Sasuke, she would have recognized the chakra signature, "Then who…?"

The answer hit her like a ton of bricks, and her heart plummeted 20 feet.

"I-Itachi…" Her voice grew weak again,

"At least you're not totally incompetent."

Ignoring the statement, she stuttered out. "H-how…"

"Not important." He delayed the subject. She backed up against the wall more as he became easier to see. He wasn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak anymore, but just a typical ninja outfit with no visible headband. It was just a mere second before Ino felt a cold sensation on her forehead, quickly realizing that it was his hand. She gasped, paralyzed as his eyes sent her in a case of shock. A glowing, sharp white pattern filled her forehead and down her temples. As images filled her mind, she felt lines of blood trotting out the side of her mouth. Her heart was overwhelmed with so many feelings that – as he finished, she felt so… blank.

"You'll be my eyes for me, Yamanka." Although he barley spoke at all, she could hear him as if he was in her mind; telling her that. As she fell to her knees, the white strokes dissolved as quickly as they came. "Now all you have to do is get close to my foolish little brother." Without looking at her grey eyes, he vanished in a dark blur.

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Uchiha was pushing his limits. This girl, whatever this thing is… is unstoppable.

"**What the matter?" **The girl's hair was still in perfect place, her pure white clothes only stained with his blood, **"I thought you liked playing tag!" **The thing whined. _**"**_**Your still it you know!"**

"I don't like _tag_." Sasuke hissed with distain at the word, wiping blood from his mouth. He refused to give up here; he refused to show his last resort to a kid; A girl none the less.

"**Aww, how about hide and seek?"** The second voice met in harmony with the first, giving a different echo effect than what he's familiar with.

"I don't play games!" He finally snapped, shocking the girl. Her eyes grew wide for a second, before she started to scowl, a low growl emerging from her gritted teeth.

"**Y-y-you… d-don't…" **The girl stuttered, "**I…I don't understand…" **

"I'm too old for games, you are too." He stated blandly, pissed at the blood that she caused him to leak. It could do a good job in his body, you know.

"**T-too…old…" **She gripped her head, a aqua energy circling around her. She emitted a defining screech, her eyes turning a glowing yellow. **"I-I'm N-n-not too old!" **She lost her entire human form at this rate, turning into something unexplainable.

"_**Game Over!"**_ It sounded as if 50 voices in harmony said it, angry with him. Just as Uchiha tried to doge the ground breaking hit, he realized that there was an invisible wall, there was something keeping him from moving onward. As the spirit-like thing lifted its arm, he realized that he has nowhere left to run.

Just as the arm was about to come down…

"_**Sasuke!"**_ A voice screamed, and as he turned his head…

The impact never came.

He was pushed to the floor, away from the hit. Registering what had just happened, he looked up to see that the thing was gone, not a sign that it was here; minus the injuries he had.

Looking in front of him, he realized that not _something_ pushed him out of the way, but someone…

"Ino…" Surprised at the blond girl's presence, the dried-up blood lines on her face moved as she looked at him. Her eyes where still gray, but they where watering.

"S-Sasuke…" She stuttered, her hands gripped his shirt as she sobbed. She lowered her head so the he wouldn't see her blood mix with her tears. He sighed silently, putting one of his arms around her shoulder, leaning his head back. He'll let it slide this one time…

Neither of them even noticed that they where in the same room as the water quarts crystal; or that Neji was passed out on the other side of the section.

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**Hopefully the grammer is better than it was before... I actually proofread! :'D Another chapter done and out… god, I can't believe I'm in the habit of uploading once a month… it really sucks… but I do have a life outside of the internet you know… HAPPY EASTER!  
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**REVIEW…PLEASE? reviews are my candy (considering my parents stop giving us baskets when we're 6) :3 **

_**With love,**_

_**Candy**_


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